‘Die Hard’ Director Heading to Prison

John McTiernan was ordered to pay $100,000 and serve three years probation

BBC

Die Hard director, John McTiernan has lost his appeal to have a one-year prison sentence overturned for lying to the FBI in a wiretapping case.

The 62-year-old was sentenced in 2010 after pleading guilty to lying over hiring a private investigator to wiretap a film producer.

He had been free on bail while he appealed the conviction, however the US Supreme Court declined to review it.

A judge is now expected to order McTiernan to go to prison, reports the BBC.

After serving a custodial sentence, the filmmaker - who also directed The Hunt for Red October and Predator - will be on supervised release for three years.

McTiernan was originally accused of lying about hiring former celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano to wiretap film producer, Chuck Roven, after they both worked on the movie Rollerball.

The director initially pleaded guilty in 2006 after the FBI obtained a recording in which the men discussed the wiretap, but he later withdrew his guilty plea.

After failing in his attempt to suppress the recording, he pleaded guilty again in 2010 to allow him the opportunity to appeal, however he was then sentenced by a District Court judge and fined $100,000 (£62,400).

Although McTiernan is likely to be ordered to report to prison, his lawyer said there was still a motion before the judge to reduce or eliminate his sentence on the grounds there has never been any evidence presented that Pellicano actually wiretapped Roven.

However, the charge McTiernan was found guilty of was lying to the FBI and not wiretapping.

Pellicano was convicted of 78 crimes at two separate trials in 2008 for obtaining the private records of a number of Hollywood stars including Sylvester Stallone.

He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for racketeering, conspiracy and wiretapping.

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